After a few roadblocks, Honda is back with a new Jazz

Pics and text: BBC TopGear India; www.topgear.com/india

By Agasti Kaulgi
We're sure that most of you are familiar with the Jazz. It was on sale in India for quite a while. But as a segment – the premium hatchback – was a bit ahead of its time. Now, things have changed, and India has matured as a market.

This Jazz is all-new. Now, it offers even more space, utility and a safer body structure. Unlike the previous Jazz and like all new Hondas, it comes with the option of a diesel engine too.

The 1.5-litre all-aluminium block churns out 99 horses and 200Nm. Turbo lag has been taken care of, and torque starts pouring in right from 1500 revs. There's loads of clatter, and despite Honda claiming that it's paid special attention to NVH levels, a lot of noise seeps into the cabin. The good part is that the diesel engine is mated to a six-speed manual and not the five-speeder you find in the Amaze and the Mobilio. This adds flexibility and boosts highway efficiency. The 1.2-litre petrol engine is amply refined, but the power is all high up in the power band.

The Jazz could teach a lesson or two to its rivals about space. The cabin is airy, and the rear too, has plenty of room for you to stretch your legs. That is complemented by a smooth, pliant ride. It's a big improvement over the last generation Jazz's stiff ride.



The dashboard design is almost similar to the City's. Plastic quality is a letdown though. When you talk features, the Jazz has quite a few things – there's a reverse camera, electrically-folding and adjusting ORVMs, touch controls for the climate control, steering controls and so on.

The Jazz is not a car that'll plaster a smile on your face with its handling. The steering isn't the most communicative and a bit dull when it comes to feedback. It's light, and makes life easy when it comes to manoeuvring the car through tight spaces in the city.

It's high on space, great with its utility and a good drive too. It's one of the few cars in the market that work well whether you drive yourself or prefer being driven around, and it also works as a family car.

Specifications:

Petrol: 4cyl, 1198cc, 87bhp, 110Nm, 5-speed manual/CVT automatic

Diesel: 4cyl, 1495cc, 89bhp, 200Nm, 6-speed manual

Boot: 354 litres

Price: Rs 5.57-9.01 lakh (ex-Mumbai)

The verdict: Spoils you with acres of space, is comfortable and drives well too. Engines are a bit of a letdown.